Hornet and Kato follow Shugo using the tracer that Casey hid on him. The signal stops and Kato hears Major Jackson on the radio. Jackson reports that his convoy cargo was stolen. Mabouse then comes on the radio and warns that any attempt to interfere with him will imperil the city. The heroes rig for silent running and head for the semi.
Mabouse's men take the warhead while Mabouse and Vama look on. Shugo tells them that he's removed the detonator from the convoy truck and then hidden the truck, and Mabouse says that he's rigged the bomb for remote control. The scientist then tells Shugo that he'll ride with them and they go back to the truck. Martin reports that their plane has landed on schedule, and Mabouse says that they'll stay there to avoid giving themselves off. The operator turns on the radar and picks up a strong audio signal but nothing on the radar... and it's coming from inside the truck. Mabouse works out that Shugo has Casey's tracer on him.
Kato loses the signal.
Martin detects Black Beauty and Mabouse goes on the radio to warn all police cars to stay five miles clear of the area. He then turns the tracer back on and they figure that Mabouse knows that they're after him. When Martin protests, saying that Mabouse must be mad, the scientist warns him to never say that to him.
Black Beauty pulls off the road as they approach the truck. The heroes move in and see Mabouse telling his men to go on ahead. Kato throws darts and they shatter on a mirror. Mabouse used the mirror and a loudspeaker to make it seem he was ahead of them, and comes up behind Hornet and Kato with his men. Hornet says that he hoped to pick up the ball if Mabouse dropped it, and Mabouse says that he'll let Hornet act as his stand-in.
Mabouse's men rig Black Beauty with explosives, and put a tied-up Shugo with them. When they find the wreckage of the car and Shugo's body, Mabouse figures the police will conclude that Hornet masterminded the whole thing and his underlings took the warhead. Mabouse has aimed the Hornet Sting so that if anyone inside Black Beauty or on the road will trigger it, and detonate the explosives. The henchmen put the three men inside, and Mabouse puts the sensor on the hood. He tells Hornet that the police will come in after he leaves, and they'll set off the sensor even if Hornet and the others don't.
Once Mabouse and his men leave, police sirens sound in the distance. Hornet tells Kato that he's going to fire the rear rockets, and the explosion will hopefully jolt Black Beauty far enough forward to clear the explosion. Shugo panics but Hornet points out that they have no choice. He slowly reaches forward, and triggers the rockets. Shugo jumps out and is caught in the blast, and Beauty clears the explosion.
Martin reports that there's a helicopter overhead, and Mabouse confirms that the police cars are heading toward them. He figures that the police will stay back because they have the warhead, and Martin radios the airplane to confirm that it's coming in.
Hornet tells Kato to take the old post road, which goes near an abandoned airstrip. He figures that Mabouse is heading there and they'll be waiting for them.
Scanlon meets with the police chief and an Air Force colonel, and the chief figures that they should intercept Mabouse before he gets in the air. The colonel says that they can block all planes entering the area.
Martin soon tells Mabouse that the Air Force is buzzing all incoming flights, and their plane isn't going to land. Mabouse has the drives pull over and stop, and they put the warhead in the nearby brush. He vows to have revenge and give them the warhead... by blowing it up once they're out of range. Martin objects, saying they only planned to use the warhead as a threat, but Mabouse insists that he'll have his revenge. When Martin begs Mabouse not to make him a part of it, Mabouse draws a gun on him and leaves Martin behind.
Hornet and Kato spot the air cover and figure that Mabouse will change his plans. Kato doubles back and Martin waves them down. Martin says that they need to get out and tells them that the warhead is in the brush and Mabouse has the detonator. He describes how Mabouse can detonate the bomb, and Hornet gets him into Black Beauty and they leave.
In the semi, Mabouse arms the detonator.
Hornet tells Kato rig for silent running as they head for the semi. Martin tells them that Mabouse won't turn on the radar because Mabouse doesn't care if they're following him since he has the detonator. They close in on the van and Hornet leaps aboard. He enters the back and fights Mabouse's men, and then punches Mabouse. Mabouse drops the detonator, and the console bursts into flame. Meanwhile, Kato cuts off the semi and the escort car, and takes on Mabouse's thugs
Vama uses her electric blast on Hornet, who uses a mirror to reflect it back at her. Mabouse grabs the detonator and Hornet tackles him. The two men fight and Hornet tosses Mabouse into the console, knocking him out. He takes the detonator and then goes outside as Kato finishes the others, and they shove Martin out and then drive away as the police arrive.
Later, Scanlon shows Kato and Casey the battery pack that Vama used to project the lightning bolts through her insulated gloves. Britt comes in and Scanlon says that the "UFO" was a weather balloon and they faked the crash with gasoline and scrap metal. Scanlon jokingly invites Britt to take the lightning pack with him on his date to the opera, but Britt passes.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 3, 2017